18 October 2004 -- Afghan authorities have said that at least one electoral official and four other people were killed today after their vehicle hit a land mine in Afghanistan's southeastern Paktika Province.

Sultan Ahmad Baheen, a spokesman for the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), said the incident occurred in Yahah-Khil District early today.

Baheen declined to comment on whether it was an attack by Taliban fighters. He said the commission was seeking further information on the incident to see whether it was a deliberate attack.

Afghanistan held its first presidential election on 9 October. With nearly 1 million votes counted so far, Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai has won some 60 percent of the vote or almost 12 percent of the estimated total.